Gene, the size of your brisket is why it's taking so long. Small cuts, like your 3 pounder, take as much as 3 hours per pound to cook! Not sure of the science behind it, but it is certainly the case. I once did a <4 lb corned beef brisket that took 11 hours!
Next time, get a larger cut of meat (for briskets or pork butts). Small cuts, like tenderloins or pretty much anything else, cook normally. Itty bitty brikies take forever!! Nothing wrong with what you're doing, just the nature of the beast!